Hawaii

Restaurants in Hawaii

A favorite of President Barack Obama, this casual burger joint is located across the street from the Haleiwa Shopping Plaza on the North Shore. First established in 1975, the restaurant is now an international chain with outposts in London and Japan.

Mark Ellman was part of the movement known as Hawaii Regional Cuisine, which is based on regionally produced farm goods. He and his wife Judy started Avalon restaurant back in 1987, and opened this seaside restaurant in 2005.

What One of the last drive-in restaurants in Honolulu, its parking lot is often filled with vans topped with surfboards. Rainbow is a favorite pit stop of beachcombers in flip-flops and office workers hoping to catch some rays on their lunch break.

Lines often extend out the door at this family-owned eatery, a North Shore landmark since 1951. The homemade shaved ice is available in 36 flavors, ranging from watermelon and raspberry to island-inspired flavors like guava and lilikoi (passion fruit).

A lot of Maui restaurants look out at the beach, but Sarento’s is one of the only places with tables right next to the sand. If possible, arrive before sunset and snag a table right on Keawakapu Beach, and finish the night with tiramisu and the sound of lapping surf.

Want to really make an impression? Order a bottle of wine by this restaurant’s fire pit, and time its arrival exactly for sunset. This Kapalua classic occupies the point between Napili and Kapalua bays, and its outdoor perch on the end of the point has a near panoramic ocean view.